USA > Vermont > Addison County > History of Addison county Vermont, with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 14
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On this lot a wooden jail was first built, and in 1796 the old court-house was begun ; but it was not finished and occupied until 1798. The Dudley lot mentioned refers to the lot on which Samuel Mattocks built his tavern and where the Addison House now stands. The court-house stood on the brow of the hill five or six rods north of the present Wainwright House. The jail was erected about on the same line ; it contained a tenement for the jailor's family, with a dungeon and prisoners' rooms.
In that period the Legislature of Vermont, as it has been facetiously said, " had its headquarters on wheels," and held its sessions in various places from year to year ; Middlebury received the honor in 1800 and in 1806. In antici- pation of the session of 1800, the court-house, says Judge Swift, " was built with reference to their use. One high room, arched overhead, with long win- dows, and seats rising towards the rear, and a gallery over the entrance at the west end, constituted the whole interior of the building. The General Assem- bly held its session in it in the years 1800 and 1806. The inhabitants of the town having contributed towards its erection, it was used also as a town room. And until the completion of the new church, in 1809, it was occupied by the
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Congregational Society as a place of worship, and for all meetings of the so- ciety. There being no other suitable room in the village, it was used for pub- lic meetings of every character. By the arrangement of the roads in the vicin- ity and the business, which centered there, these buildings were left in an ex- posed condition, without inclosures, and the whole grounds around them became a thoroughfare for teams and other modes of travel. The jail, espe- cially, came to be regarded as too unsafe and uncomfortable for the purpose for which it was designed. Accordingly, in November, 1809, the Legislature passed an act assessing a tax of one cent on a dollar on the lists of the several towns in the county (except the city of Vergennes, which maintained a jail of its own), for the purpose of erecting a jail in Middlebury, to be paid into the treasury of the county by the first day of February, 1811, and authorized the judges of the County Court to appoint an agent to superintend the erection. They appointed Hon. Daniel Chipman, who proceeded to procure a suitable lot for its site, and in December, 1810, received a deed from Artemas Nixon of a vacant lot on the corner made by the road leading east from the court- house, and another leading thence north. On this he erected a jail house of stone, at a cost of about four thousand dollars. After the completion of this building the old jail house was sold to Captain Justus Foot, and by him was removed to the lot east of the hotel, repaired, fitted up and occupied by his family as a dwelling house."
The stone jail was used for its purpose until 1846, although for some years prior to that date it had been considered unfit. In that year the present com- modious and suitable two-story brick structure on Court street was erected at a cost of about $8,000. The stone jail was transformed into a dwelling and is now occupied by H. G. Langworthy. The present jail has in the front portion a residence for the sheriff, with an office; through the latter is the only com- munication with the prison portion from the outside. The cells, twelve in number, were built in the strongest and most approved manner, the building costing in its final completed state much more than was anticipated. A second tax of five cents on the dollar was laid, which, with liberal subscriptions by the people of Middlebury, sufficed to substantially finish the structure; but it has been much improved since.
As early as 1814 the old court-house, standing as it did in a very conspic- uous and exposed situation, came to be regarded as more of a nuisance than an honor to the immediate locality, and was removed to its later site under the following circumstances, as related by Judge Swift: "On the Ist of January, 1816, and after the court-house was removed, Judge Painter deeded to the county a tract of land, 'being that piece or parcel of land, on which the Court- House now stands in Middlebury, together with a free and open passage on the whole front of the same to the Center Turnpike road, so called, with a passage around the said Court-House on the north, east and south sides of the same,
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for the purpose of repairing or fitting up the said House, or for the erection of a new Court-House on the premises at all times,' 'for the express purpose of erecting, keeping and having a Court-House for the County of Addison afore- said, on the said premises, where the same is now erected, so long as the prem- ises shall be used for the purpose aforesaid, and no longer,' with a quit claim of the right to erect buildings on the neighboring lands within certain distances. The width of the 'free passage around' the house was fixed by a deed from the corporation of Middlebury College, who received the land by will from Judge Painter to R. and J. Wainwright, at one rod.
"The court-house having so high a room for the sessions of the courts, hav- ing been much racked by the removal, and being otherwise out of repair, was found to be not only inconvenient, but so cold that it could not be kept comfort- able in the cold weather in winter, when most of the courts were held ; and for that reason the Supreme Court held its sessions for several winters at the public houses. The County Court therefore, in the year 1829, ordered Samuel Swift, the clerk, and Seymour Sellick, the sheriff, to divide the building into two sto- ries. The agents accomplished this purpose during that season, finishing the upper story for the sessions of the courts, with one room adjoining for a con- sultation room, and three rooms below for jury rooms and other uses, in the style in which it still remains. When finished, the court-room was said to be the best furnished room for the purpose in the State. The expense of the alter- ation was $1,250.II. The town of Middlebury paid toward this expense $250, in consideration that they were to have the use of the large room in the lower story for a town room."
But the time came when even this old reconstructed court-house was not adequate to the necessities of the county, nor creditable to its increasing wealth and public business. Therefore a measure was inaugurated which resulted in laying a tax on the county for the building of the present handsome and con- venient court-house on the site of the old one, which was removed farther south on the same street. The new court-house cost about $22,000, which sum was considerably increased by a purchase of a little additional land and other improvements. It is provided with ample fire-proof vaults for the rec- ords of the county, both in the county clerk's office and the office of the judge of probate. The court-room is on the second floor. It is one of the notable buildings of the State.
SOCIETIES.
Addison County Agricultural Society. - It is known that an agricultural society had a brief existence in this county at an early period ; but it was suf- fered to decline, chiefly for want of legislative support. In 1843 the Legisla- ture passed an act authorizing the formation of agricultural societies "to en- courage and promote agriculture, domestic manufactures and the mechanic
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arts." The treasurer of the State was authorized to pay annually to each soci- ety properly organized under the act a share of two thousand dollars, appro- priated for the whole State, in proportion to the population of the county in which the society was organized, provided that an equal sum should be raised by other means.
Under this act a society was formed in Middlebury by a convention of county representatives, held on the 22d of January, 1844, by the name which heads this section. The constitution adopted at that time declared the objects of the society as above stated, and provided for the payment of one dollar as the condition of membership, and fifteen dollars for a life membership. The officers to be elected were defined and a board of managers authorized, consist- ing of the officers and one member from each town where ten members of the society resided ; as stated in the act, this board was to have " a general super- vision of the affairs of the society, fix upon such productions, experiments, dis- coveries or attainments in agriculture and horticulture, and upon such articles of manufacture, as shall come in competition for premiums at the agricultural fairs, also upon the number and amount of premiums, and the time and place of holding fairs." The officers were to be chosen at an annual meeting to be held at Middlebury, on the first Wednesday of January, which was afterwards altered to the fourth Wednesday of that month. The first meeting was held on the same day the society was organized, and Hon. Silas H. Jenison was elected president, and Harvey Bell, esq., secretary.
The first fair was held at the court-house and adjoining grounds in Middle- bury, October I, 1844, and an address was delivered by Hon. Silas H. Jeni- son. The fairs in 1845 and 1847 were held at Vergennes; at the former of which an eloquent and interesting address was made by Rev. Dr. Wheeler, president of the University of Vermont. The fair in 1849 was held in Shore- ham. All the others have been held in Middlebury. At the annual meeting in January, 1852, the constitution was so altered as to authorize the managers to fix on a permanent location for the annual exhibitions ; and they, at a meet- ing in June of that year, fixed on Middlebury for that purpose, provided the citizens should provide suitable grounds and fixtures, and pay one hundred dollars annually toward the expenses. Grounds were thereupon leased north of the village and temporary accommodations provided, which sufficed for a few years. About 1860 a number of gentlemen of the county purchased the tract of twenty-two acres of land just south of the village which formerly con- stituted the stock farm of Jonathan Wainwright. Here buildings, in addition to those then in existence, have been erected from time to time, as the growing needs of the society demanded. The title to this property has been transferred to the society, and the fairs have gradually become more and more successful, until now it is doubtful if there is in the State a more prosperous or better managed society. Judge Swift wrote of the earlier fairs as follows : " Hitherto
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the fairs have fully met the expectations of the most sanguine. Many of them have been interesting and extensive and have produced a favorable effect in stimulating efforts for improvement, and securing advancement in all of the departments within the province of the society. . Whatever others may say, the citizens of Addison county will not shrink from a comparison with the exhibitions of stock of any other county in the State, or perhaps of any other State." This high praise has continued to be deserved, and there is no question but the Addison County Agricultural Society has been of incalculable benefit to the farming interests of the county.
The presidents of the society from its organization to the present time have been as follows : 1844 to 1848, Silas H. Jenison ; 1848 to 1850, Elias Bottum ; 1850 to 1852, Charles L. Smith ; 1852 to 1854, Harvey Munsill ; 1854 to 1857, Edwin Hammond ; 1857 to 185-, William R. Sanford.
The present officers of the society are as follows : President, E. N. Bissell, of Shoreham ; vice-president, C. R. Witherell, of Cornwall, and C. P. Crane, of Bridport ; secretary, J. A. Child, of Weybridge ; assistant secretary, Frank C. Dyer, of Salisbury ; treasurer, C. Hill, of Middlebury ; directors, J. M. Dyer, of Salisbury, J. Battell, of Middlebury, Darwin Rider, of Middlebury, D. W. Nash, of New Haven, and E. G. Farnham, of Shoreham.
The Champlain Valley Agricultural Society .- This society was perma- nently organized at Vergennes (to which city and vicinity it mainly belongs) on the 21st of January, 1881 ; it had, however, held fairs two years previously under a temporary organization. The objects of the society are sufficiently explained in its name - the improvement of agricultural productions, domestic animals, domestic manufactures, and mechanic arts as applied to the interests of agriculture. Ground near the city was leased at first, on which a hall has been built and a trotting track constructed. John M. Dyer has recently pur- chased the grounds and guarantees the premiums offered ; this plan was adopt- ed in 1885, and gives the society and those contributing to the fairs a feeling of security that is likely to prove beneficial. The present officers of the society are as follows: President, H. S. Jackman, Waltham; vice-presidents, A. T. Booth, Ferrisburgh, and William E. Green, of Vergennes; secretary, M. T. Bristol, Vergennes ; treasurer, D. H. Lewis, Vergennes; directors, F. E. Sears, Panton, Warren H. Peck, New Haven, O. H. Fisher, Addison, E. S. Wright, Weybridge, G. F. O. Kimball, Vergennes.
Middlebury Historical Society .- While this may not be strictly speaking a county organization, its objects certainly embrace the county at large and its description may, therefore, be properly placed in this chapter. It was organ- ized November 23, 1843, with the particular object of cultivating New England and American history, and especially that of Addison county. The member- ship at the outset included only nine persons, which was soon increased to twelve, all of whom were residents of Middlebury. The plan of action was
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similar to that of the ordinary literary club. The first officers chosen were Hon. Samuel Swift, president ; Philip Battell esq., secretary; these continued in office until 1846, when Rev. Benjamin Larabee, D. D., was chosen president and George S. Swift, secretary. New members were from time to time elected from this town and vicinity, with honorary members throughout the county and corresponding members in other localities. Meetings were held as deemed for the best interests of the society; papers were read, many of which were of great historical value, discussions held and considerable collections of books and manuscripts made. In February, 1847, a movement was begun, the purpose of which was to secure the writing and publication of histories of all the towns in Addison county. A special committee was appointed by whom historians were selected in the various towns, they being regularly commissioned by a circular from the society minutely defining the character and details of the proposed work. The appointments were generally accepted, or others made in their places, and the work began. Although this laudable object has not yet been fully carried out, it has resulted in the preparation of histories of about half the towns in the county, several of which are of the greatest value ; notably those of Middlebury, by Judge Samuel Swift ; of Salisbury, by John M. Weeks; of Shoreham, by Rev. Josiah F. Goodhue; of Cornwall, by Rev. Lyman Mat- thews. Manuscripts of the towns of Orwell, by Rev. Roswell Bottum (since issued by his son in pamphlet form), and of Bristol, by Harvey Munsil, were also written. The value of this work cannot be overestimated. The society has also, since 1843, celebrated the anniversary of the landing of the Pilgrims, regarding that event as the starting point of American history. The present officers of the society are Hon. John W. Stewart, president ; Philip Battell, secretary.
INTERNAL IMPROVEMENTS.
The inland situation of the State of Vermont and her distance from the great arteries of travel and trade as finally established, prevented the develop- ment of internal improvements and large commercial relations with other lo- calities until a comparatively recent date. The first measures that can be classed under the title of internal improvements as adopted by the pioneers in any new country, are those for the building of roads and bridges and their subsequent improvement and extension ; highways of some description are almost the first public necessity with the pioneer. One of the earliest of the roads which passed across the southwestern part of Addison county is still known as the old mil- itary road, which ran from Number Four (Charlestown, N. H.) to Crown Point, N. Y. This thoroughfare was opened chiefly as a military measure. Its course was, in brief, as described by another, from Charlestown (which is one hundred and eight miles from Boston) to Nott's Ferry, to Springfield, on through Weth- ersfield to Charles Button's Tavern on Mill River in Clarendon ; then six miles
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to Mead's Tavern in Rutland, on the west side of the creek; thence six miles to Waters's Tavern, in Pittsford ; thence through "Brown's Camp," in Neshobe (now Brandon), twenty miles to Moor's Tavern in Shoreham, and thence on to Crown Point.
Another important road of early times extended from Clarendon, Rutland county, or farther south, through Rutland to Pittsford, and was later continued northward. It was opened to Pittsford before the beginning of the century, and was traveled over by many of the pioneers of Addison county at a time when Pittsford was its northern terminus, and the waters or ice of Otter Creek had to be used as a highway from that point northward. It will not be neces- sary to follow here the opening of the various highways, or even the more im- portant ones, in this county ; many of them will be described in the subsequent histories of the various towns. The old stage route from Boston to Burlington and from Albany to Canada passed through this county, and Middlebury and Vergennes were important stage stations. The old time taverns, not only in those places, but at various points along the stage routes, were many of them known in more than one State as popular hostelries.
It is not uncommon to hear old residents speak with a sort of admiration of the days when the principal roads were traveled daily by stage coaches of the old Concord style, drawn by four or more horses ; a tinge of regret is some- times noticeable in their reminiscences, as if they would fain take another ride of that description. Neither was it a very slow or uncomfortable method of travel. Over the main thoroughfares which we have noticed those often heav- ily-laden vehicles bowled along from stage-house to stage-house, sweeping up to each stopping-place, whither the sound of the horn had preceded them, the drivers wielding the long whip with wonderful skill and manipulating the four- in-hand with the greatest dexterity.
The old stage companies developed many men who afterwards turned their attention to the inaugurating of more pretentious methods of transportation, or gave to younger men the benefit of their experience.
Facilities for travel and transportation of products and goods into and out of Addison county were restricted to teams for many years, which undoubtedly long exerted an influence against the growth of this region. The attractive hills and valleys of Western New York, reached easily by canal and railroad long before such means of transportation had touched Vermont to any consid- erable extent, and, later, the still more alluring fields farther west, drew many home-seekers, not only away from this northern region, but directly out of it. This state of affairs was deplored not only by individuals, but in the public newspapers.
As railroad and canal builders the American people lead all nations. Pre- vious to the opening of the Champlain Canal in 1823, a large share of the sur- plus produce of this locality was transported eastward and northward and thus
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reached the seacoast markets; but with the opening of that waterway all was changed in a day. The tide of commercial transportation and travel turned westward, finding its outlet in New York; an impetus of great importance to Addison county was also given to all kinds of industry, the effects of which are still apparent. The spectacle which had been witnessed on Lake Cham- plain in early times, of lumber, pot and pearl ashes and what other products could be spared for market, going northward to Quebec from the western part of Vermont, was no longer seen. Mercantile goods now came up from New York city and breadstuffs from the west. Lake Champlain became a commercial highway, whose blue waters were thickly dotted by white sails and puffing steamers from the opening of navigation to its close; in 1838 Ver- mont alone had on the lake four steamboats, seventeen sloops, fifteen schoon- ers and thirty-one canal boats. It seemed that a new era of commercial his- tory had begun.
Some efforts were made during this period to navigate the upper Connect- icut by steamboats, the first in 1827, when a boat called the Barnet ascended as far as Bellows Falls ; this craft was afterward taken to Hartford and finally broken up. In 1829 a Mr. Blanchard built two steamboats, one of which was named for himself and was about the same size as the Barnet, and the other eighty feet long and drawing but twelve or fifteen inches of water. These boats made a few trips between Barnet and Bellows Falls and were then aban- doned.
The success and business importance of the Champlain Canal and the Erie Canal in New York State inaugurated a sort of canal fever throughout the country, the latter named State being especially affected by it, while Vermont nearly escaped. One enterprise of this nature, however, interested this county for a brief period. On the 17th of November, 1825, the "Otter Creek and Castleton River Canal Company" was incorporated, under the names of Elia- kim Johnson, Moseley Hall, Henry Hodges, Frederick Button, Moses Strong, Francis Slason, Thomas Hammond, Sturgis Penfield, John Conant, Henry Oliver, A. W. Broughton, Aaron Barrows, Harvey Deming, Ira Stewart, Jon- athan Hagar, John Meacham, James Arms, Reuben Moulton, Elisha Parkhill, John P. Colburn and Jacob Davy ; several of these gentlemen were prominent citizens of Addison county. The objects of this company were to " maintain a canal or railways, or improve the navigation of Castleton River and Otter Creek, by canals, railways, or other streams from the village of Middlebury to the village of Wallingford, from the creek in Rutland to the East Bay, or the line of the State of New York, to intersect a canal such as may be branched out from the northern canal in the State of New York to the east line of the said State." This was a nice looking enterprise, but it moved very little farther than the incorporation. Other navigation enterprises were sug- gested and discussed ; but the State of Vermont was destined to prosper with- out canals.
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Railroads .- Between the years 1830 and 1840 the people of this region began to believe that if they would enjoy the prosperity gained by other States, they must have railroads. This feeling culminated in vigorous efforts, which for several years promised to be successful, to build the Rutland and Whitehall Railroad. Meetings were held, a charter procured, the Rutland and Whitehall Bank established, and a large portion of the stock was subscribed for; but the terrible financial crisis of that period, with other causes, killed the project.
In September, 1836, notice was published of a petition to be presented to the Legislature for an act incorporating the railroad from Bennington to the Canada line-the forerunner of the present Rutland and Bennington Railroad.
On the Ist of November, 1843, a company was incorporated with the right and for the purpose of building a railroad "from some point on the eastern shore of Lake Champlain, thence up the valley of Onion River, and extending to a point on the Connecticut River most convenient to meet a railroad either from Concord, N. H., or Fitchburg, Mass." Stock was subscribed for the en- terprise, and in the spring of 1847 work upon the construction of the Vermont Central Railroad was commenced. Various financial difficulties and contro- versies with other enterprises of a like kind followed, delaying its completion until 1849, when, in November of that year, the first train of cars passed over it. Its final route was decided upon as follows: Commencing at Windsor, it follows the Connecticut River to the mouth of White River, thence up that stream to the source of its third branch; thence reaching the summit in Rox- bury, and passing down the valley of Dog River, it enters the Winooski valley near Montpelier ; thence, continuing in the Winooski valley, near Montpelier, its terminus is reached at Burlington, a distance of one hundred and seventeen miles.
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